Telemarketers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $27,040 | $13.00 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $35,450 | $17.04 |
| Mean (average) | $37,370 | $17.97 |
| 90th percentile | $50,350 | $24.21 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Telemarketers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 42 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,840 | $29,740 | $35,460 | 1,330 | 1.68 |
| Arizona | $37,750 | $30,580 | $51,490 | 1,550 | 1.27 |
| Arkansas | $29,060 | $28,450 | $37,130 | 840 | 1.71 |
| California | $46,000 | $34,320 | $60,400 | 3,880 | 0.57 |
| Colorado | $47,670 | $33,940 | $77,000 | 880 | 0.82 |
| Connecticut | $45,200 | $36,970 | $58,900 | 110 | 0.18 |
| Florida | $35,570 | $27,040 | $41,910 | 9,760 | 2.62 |
| Georgia | $36,020 | $28,580 | $41,690 | 2,620 | 1.43 |
| Idaho | $39,400 | $26,260 | $41,440 | 280 | 0.86 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | $31,200 | $71,340 | 870 | 0.38 |
| Indiana | $31,550 | $21,650 | $39,870 | 690 | 0.57 |
| Iowa | $33,640 | $28,190 | $39,580 | 1,100 | 1.88 |
| Kansas | $48,010 | $21,980 | $50,330 | ||
| Kentucky | $34,450 | $29,090 | $48,720 | 910 | 1.21 |
| Louisiana | $28,910 | $23,440 | $43,030 | 380 | 0.53 |
| Maine | $32,610 | $30,470 | $63,330 | ||
| Maryland | $35,590 | $31,410 | $52,620 | 540 | 0.52 |
| Massachusetts | $44,650 | $36,860 | $57,540 | ||
| Michigan | $33,040 | $25,960 | $38,310 | 1,120 | 0.68 |
| Minnesota | $39,850 | $29,680 | $65,940 | 650 | 0.59 |
| Mississippi | $21,540 | $19,780 | $29,800 | 370 | 0.84 |
| Missouri | $29,840 | $28,600 | $37,120 | 2,710 | 2.45 |
| Nebraska | $31,200 | $28,080 | $60,920 | 490 | 1.29 |
| Nevada | $34,290 | $25,820 | $48,010 | 2,200 | 3.77 |
| New Hampshire | $30,530 | $21,980 | $65,930 | 530 | 2.07 |
| New Jersey | $39,370 | $33,230 | $46,790 | 410 | 0.26 |
| New York | $41,400 | $34,290 | $59,840 | 1,960 | 0.54 |
| North Carolina | $34,380 | $27,380 | $52,500 | 1,820 | 0.98 |
| North Dakota | $23,440 | $21,080 | $40,400 | 120 | 0.75 |
| Ohio | $35,290 | $24,940 | $43,450 | 3,090 | 1.48 |
| Oklahoma | $26,880 | $24,730 | $36,720 | 470 | 0.72 |
| Oregon | $42,060 | $33,970 | $48,140 | 420 | 0.57 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,430 | $20,800 | $38,140 | 1,710 | 0.75 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,580 | $21,840 | $29,440 | 1,170 | 3.32 |
| South Carolina | $37,090 | $21,600 | $44,910 | 1,060 | 1.22 |
| Tennessee | $29,470 | $21,280 | $48,340 | 2,210 | 1.79 |
| Texas | $34,290 | $23,420 | $51,520 | 3,660 | 0.69 |
| Utah | $36,610 | $29,520 | $47,590 | 390 | 0.59 |
| Virginia | $37,440 | $30,960 | $62,050 | ||
| Washington | $39,670 | $34,940 | $50,350 | 300 | 0.22 |
| West Virginia | $33,370 | $21,770 | $34,830 | 440 | 1.67 |
| Wisconsin | $33,260 | $28,750 | $47,570 | 1,160 | 1.05 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for telemarketers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 5,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 2.9%.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for telemarketers
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Contact businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales for goods or services, or to request donations for charitable causes.
- Obtain customer information such as name, address, and payment method, and enter orders into computers.
- Explain products or services and prices, and answer questions from customers.
- Record names, addresses, purchases, and reactions of prospects contacted.
- Maintain records of contacts, accounts, and orders.
- Answer telephone calls from potential customers who have been solicited through advertisements.
- Deliver prepared sales talks, reading from scripts that describe products or services, to persuade potential customers to purchase a product or service or to make a donation.
- Telephone or write letters to respond to correspondence from customers or to follow up initial sales contacts.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Salesforce software (hot technology)
- Zoom (hot technology)
- Acarda Sales Technologies Acarda Outbound
- Automatic call distribution software
- Database Systems Corp Telemation
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Remote access call center software
- Softphone software
Transferable skills for career changers: Persuasion, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Negotiation, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Call Agent, Inside Sales Representative (Inside Sales Rep), Telemarketer, Telemarketing Sales Representative (Telemarketing Sales Rep), Telephone Sales Representative (TSR), Telephone Service Representative (TSR), Telesales Representative (Telesales Rep), Telesales Specialist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do telemarketers make?
The national median annual wage for telemarketers was $35,450 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $27,040 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $50,350. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do telemarketers need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is telemarketers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of telemarketers to change -21.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 5,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay telemarketers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Kansas ($48,010), Colorado ($47,670), California ($46,000). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.